Ben Bernanke

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Ben Bernanke

An economist who became Chairman of the Federal Reserve in 2005. He presided over the 2000s economic crisis, supervising the bailouts and forced mergers of a number of American financial institutions. He was both lauded and criticized for favoring an expansive monetary policy, which proponents claimed kept the American economy from collapsing in the crisis, but which others argued would lead to inflation. He is considered an expert on the Great Depression.

Yet once in office, Obama's crucial selections-Robert Gates at Defense, Timothy Geither at Treasury, and Ben Bernake at the Federal Reserve-were all top Bush officials, and they seamlessly continued the unpopular financial bailouts and foreign wars begun by his predecessor, producing what amounted to a third Bush term.

America, which is sleepwalking towards what Ben Bernake, the Chairman of the Federal Reserve, identified as the massive fiscal cliff at the beginning of the new year, is not in a position to offer any meaningful support for the fraught economies in Europe at present, apart from reading the riot act if its own interests are threatened in a significant way.

Time published its annual list Wednesday, showcasing a typically eclectic mix of personalities, ranging from the rich and powerful, like financier Warren Buffett or US Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernake, to popular entertainers like Adele and Beyonce.

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